Understanding cloud computing adoption issues: A Delphi study approach

• An exploratory ranking-type Delphi study and follow-up interviews were conducted.
• Important cloud computing adoption issues are identified, categorized and ranked.
• Three subpanels top-ranked issues from security, strategy and legal categories.
• A framework of inhibitors and drivers for cloud computing adoption is proposed.
• Recommendations to assist decision-makers in cloud computing adoption are proposed.

This research paper reports on a Delphi study focusing on the most important issues enterprises are confronted with when making cloud computing (CC) adoption decisions. We had 34 experts from different domain backgrounds participated in a Delphi panel. The panelists were IT and CC specialists representing a heterogeneous group of clients, providers and academics, divided into three subpanels. The Delphi procedure comprised three stages: brainstorming, narrowing down and ranking. The panelists identified 55 issues of concerns in the first stage, which were analyzed and grouped into 10 categories: security, strategy, legal and ethical, IT governance, migration, culture, business, awareness, availability and impact. The top 18 issues for each subpanel were ranked, and a moderate intrapanel consensus was obtained. Additionally, 16 follow-up interviews were conducted with the experts to get a deeper understanding of the issues and why certain issues were more significant than others. The findings indicate that security, strategy and legal and ethical issues are the most important. The discussion resulted in highlighting certain inhibitors and drivers for CC adoption into a framework. The paper is concluded with key recommendations with focus on change management, competence and maturity to inform decision-makers in CC adoption decisions.